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Suggestions on two party combo.. based on certain criteria..

rickcrrickcr Member Posts: 77
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Currently, I have multiple parties going through as much of Chapter 2 as possible. No, I have not fully completed BG2, and I know I should probably just stick to 'whatever' and finish it, but I can't help scratching the itch to try out different things.

I currently have a four person party, that has almost finished all of Chapter 2 (side npc and misc quests) with charname sorceror, Keldorn, Aerie, and Yoshimo (later will be Jan or Imoen). I also have a 6 person party: me Berzerker->Cleric, Keldorn, Jan, Maz, Jaheira, Haer'Dalis
Although I'm enjoying the banter with the 6 person party, the pathing issues and the way they get stuck in odd spots in battle etc gets just too frustrating at times. I know it's probably also blasphemous to say, but I'm no longer a fan of Jan that much from an RP perspective (one of his exchanges with Keldorn pissed me off too much.)

All that being said, I will probably still mess around with the two parties above, but I'd like to also play a T/? character and one other main NPC. I know there are ton of possibilities and, I know any class can solo, but a few considerations:
- I don't mind taking the occasional potion, but overall I don't enjoy the micromanagement of finding the right potion in my potion bag, and stocking up on them etc.
- Same thing as above with scrolls and wands. I never find myself desiring to rely on them.
- I think I'll enjoy more hit and run tactics in this run (both backstabs and traps), since I'm not playing the other two parties at all like this (I do use traps with Yoshimo and Jan, just not as a primary tactic.)

I'm leaning towards me as M/T with Jaheira or Keldorn or F/T with possibly Aerie ? (I know she annoys a lot of people, but i don't mind her personality.) (I like skulltrap as well so prefer that to I/T ) I'm leaning towards F/T since it'll be easier to clean up the trash mobs and I'm assuming backstabs will be much better. I'll just have to keep Aerie out of trouble if I take her with me.

Thoughts? What two party combos have you most enjoyed playing? Thanks

Comments

  • ilduderinoilduderino Member Posts: 773
    Fighter/Mage/Thief and Aerie is solid. You probably want to go multi yourself and pick a multi npc like Jan so you cover many bases and you will paper over the weaknesses of a multi by fast levelling

    I’m not sure she likes being called Maz ...
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    edited October 2019
    F/C dwarf with Nalia and then another very similar person whom you will meet later. (Edit: If you hadn't said you disliked Jan, that would have been my number one recommendation)

    You could also check out this thread for some discussions on two-man party using a combo of multiclassed characters (though that thread is without NPCs):
    https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/77006/duo-mp-team-fighter-thief-cleric-mage-vs-fighter-cleric-mage-thief#latest
  • rickcrrickcr Member Posts: 77
    ilduderino wrote: »
    Fighter/Mage/Thief and Aerie is solid. You probably want to go multi yourself and pick a multi npc like Jan so you cover many bases and you will paper over the weaknesses of a multi by fast levelling

    Out of curiosity, why the need for F/M/T if taking Aerie vs just F/T ? The relatively higher level fighter that I'd be doesn't make up the extra benefit I'd get throwing in the multi class mage features?
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Aerie is very solid, but to really shine she need buffs and micromanagement, the things you don't like.
    She can tank for a long time and hit hard as a fighter, even if with less attacks, and she can use arcane and divine magic.
    Add a FT or FMT and you will have a killer duo. Is up to you to have an aerie that need babysitting while she cast her spell and is almost not effective with her sling or a monster that can dual weld with 25 str and korgan like thac0, tank without even getting scratched while she unleashes some nasty sequencer and trigger with her mixed magics special recipes. Lowering to 0 every MR in no time and the rest.
    In a duo her turn undead is strong enough to make some areas trivial, send her and watch mummies, vampires and later liches explode.
    Buff her and love her or leave her and pick a toon less needing of the right buffs, not babysitting, as in a small party is one of the strongest npcs.

    Thief tactics are effective and fun in SoA, but in ToB you need magic power or a lot of muscles and resilience.
    I also love to play thieves, and the triple FMT is perfect as long as there is also a mage that can cast lev 9 spells.
    She can, in a duo not even so late.

  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    edited October 2019
    rickcr wrote: »
    Out of curiosity, why the need for F/M/T if taking Aerie vs just F/T ? The relatively higher level fighter that I'd be doesn't make up the extra benefit I'd get throwing in the multi class mage features?
    Mages have a plethora of defensive buffs which are super-strong on melee characters but largely wasted on ranged/caster characters. Mirror image, stoneskin, etc make FMTs vastly better defensively than FTs while still retaining a good enough THAC0 to hit most opponents. The key is not to think about FMT as "adding another mage" to the party, because FMTs don't and shouldn't memorize the same spells as a normal mage.

    FTs are plenty strong too if you want to go that route, but FMTs are more versatile and useful especially in a two-man party.
  • ilduderinoilduderino Member Posts: 773
    edited October 2019
    Jsaving has said it very well, weirdly adding in mage makes a better overall fighter with buffing and it gives much greater overall flexibility to the character.

    As you won’t even hit level 9 spells, you have to change your spell selection but you have the C/M to cover the others.

    The biggest drawback of the character is slow levelling which makes a small party a positive
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    A tripleclass in a 2 people party level up each class only a little slower then a single class in a full party.
    Aerie will grow each class even faster, they will be fine.
  • monicomonico Member Posts: 571
    To add on what has been said about FMT:

    If the choice is between FMT and F/M or M/T, I'd say it is a tough choice since you won't get lvl 9 mage spells, and the very slow level progression makes for a very different playstyle as a mage.

    But if you compare F/T and F/M/T, then you don't give up anything else as a fighter-thief by adding a mage to the equation.

    The only downside is slower level progression. Means that you hit max APR at 3.75 mill XP instead of 2.5, and thac0 progression is also a bit slower.
    But, it is only "slower" and not giving up on anything, and with only 2 characters, you will get tons of XP anyway.

    I don't even count slower thief skill progression as a downside, since you will have enough points available to do anything you want in no time.

    The other thing to consider is Race. FMT is restricted to elves and half elves, while F/T is available to all non-human races, which allows for Half-orc brute, or shorty saves shenanigans (and I find the idea of romancing Aerie as a gnome very funny. Talk about foster-daddy-issues).

    Once these have been said, by adding the M to the FT, you get:
    - nice buffs to your survivability as a fighter
    - complementary illusion spells to your stealthy thief
    - Mislead Uber Cheese for infinite backstabs
    - wands, scrolls, other spells for situational needs
    - Polymorph Self : I never tried to backstab as an Ogre or Mustard Jelly. Does it even work ? Worth trying, I say !
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    A simulacrum can do it with a BBoD from scroll, maybe better if he has also a mislead scroll in a quick slot. His personal lev 8 super planetar.
    A FMT has so many possible tactics, from the most broken to the super fun ones, and in a duo or trio is at his best.
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